Mobile is here; are you ready ?

thimble-mob-mainIn 2012, the number of mobile phones surpassed the number of landlines and telephony was officially a ‘mobile technology’. Almost overnight, the way boaters communicated with family and friends, with one another and dock or harbormasters was forever changed.

Sweeping change is happening again:  analysts project that by year’s end, more people will get online via mobile devices than home or office-based computers. Given their affinity for technology and on-the-go lifestyle, this transition has probably already happened amongst recreational boaters.

Therefore, the time is now for marine marketers to consider what mobile consumers see when visiting their websites. Will they quickly get the information they want? Can they easily act on it? Or will they pass you by in favor of another business with a website suited for the mobile user?

Here are three guidelines for setting up a successful mobile website:

  1. Create content for an on-the-go, action-oriented prospect. Research shows mobile browsers are 20% more likely to take action on search results. Pare content down to the fundamentals they need to make buying decisions:  a brief product or service overview, price, address and phone number.

  1. Keep copy short, sweet and action-oriented. An average web page has 400 or so words; a mobile page should be between 75-100 words. Use a journalistic style – top-load content with the important stuff. And include strong and direct calls to action.

  1. The user-interface must be thumb-friendly and built for speed. While pinching and swiping are cool technologies, the on-the-go user prefers seeing everything needed to make a decision and then tapping to take action. Utilize large buttons with key actions such as “Call”, “Directions” or “Book a slip”.

For marine marketers, the mobile web represents a great opportunity to convert motivated prospects that are ready to act; even a modest investment in this very fertile area will yield great returns. If you are interested in seeing what your site might look like in a mobile environment, click here.